"That is happiness; to be disolved into something complete and great. When it comes to one, it comes as naturally as sleep." - Willa Cather

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Friday, 6 January 2012

An argument against treadmill pettiness

So I showed up at the Y the day after my 19:19 5k and got on the treadmill. I used to hate treadmills. I started out at an 8 minute per mile pace. This used to be a fast pace for me. I look over my shoulder and who is on the treadmill behind me, but SR's ex-wife? We talked a little. I actually really like her. It's hard not to. She is easy on the eyes, always smells nice, knows how to apply make-up and is just a clean, organized person. Basically everything I'm not. And suddenly I find myself thinking, despite being a woman with all of the best intentions, "has there ever been a more opportune time to flaunt my compact booty?!" (if you are thinking, "get a life, sea legs" then you're just about right). So I, of course, turned up the pace, thinking the whole time "I wonder what she thinks of my ass." Well, just when I thought my ass was probably looking its best, I turned around to see she was gone. 9 miles soon down. Maybe I should stop. In walks thin guy in long-sleeved shirt who looks like he can run. He steps on the treadmill next to me. I vow to myself he will at no point run faster than me. He starts at 8.5 miles per hour. Come on, is that all you've got?? Suddenly I've decided to essentially do a 20 mile tempo on my rest day. And then I can't run one more step. Or close to that. My medial hamstring on my left leg just locked up. Thin guy in long-sleeved shirt wins. And I am injured.

The next night, I went to yoga-lates, where you have the extreme challenge of drinking a latte with your yoga. I found myself in a class with two yoga instructors and the instructor herself. And I am thinking to myself - it says on the door "yoga is non-judgemental". Okay, well, I'm not judging anyone, but no one will out cobra me. That is until I am down in the push-up position and I fall clutching my sternum in pain, having momentarily forgotten about my sternal injury from falling down the basement stairs.

Will I ever grow up?

Probably not. Today I was out running again pain free; the hamstring injury seemed to be simply induced by the treadmill. As long as I stick to my minimalist shoes outdoors, I think I am in the clear. That is a relief since we are heading to Mammoth tomorrow and as there is not much snow, it looks like we'll be doing more trail running than skiing.

But a little on La Crosse, WI

Tonight I was listening to Steve Carlyon, director of La Crosse Parks and Rec say about the proposal to develop some of the Hixon Park Land as real estate:"I have lived in many places all over the world and there is no place like La Crosse. Young professionals are moving back. They were educated here, saw the bluffs, and they can't forget them. The glaciers have never been here. It is geologically unique..."

I got tears in my eyes. You have to see it to believe it. More info on that bad development idea here:http://www.facebook.com/#!/SaveUpperHixonForest?sk=info

And this is how you will know you are in La Crossse: (I heard all of these recently)

"Hawkey" is a game you play on ice with a puck.When you hear a joke, you don't laugh, you just say "that is SO FUNNY" and you have to say the last two words louder. Otherwise people might think what they said wasn't funny.Finally, and this one I actually heard in Milwaukee and is a new verb since we left in 2008: to fellowship (v): ie, "the meeting is a great chance for people to fellowship."

Good times. I promise pics next post from Cali.

Running song of the day

Miss K by Deer Tick (thanks, Steve Q. I do like it despite the Wilco sound)

9 comments:

Man, I hate it when attempts to show how awesome one is just end up biting one in the ass. I get a little (or maybe more than a little) competitive, and I'm a much slower runner than you are. Maybe it's a good thing that I'm still dealing with some pregnancy-related running issues. It has made me even slower than before. Now, even the slow people pass me in the park. Such a humbling experience...I totally hate it. Someday I will pass all of them again at something close to warp speed. Bwah ha ha ha ha.

'Beauty is in the eye of the beholder', No disrespect meant but I remember you as both easy on the eyes (even without makeup), smelling nice and you also looked pretty clean! Since she is labled EX-wife it is clear to me that you have already won THAT battle. Other than that I think the booty showing off was a sweet idea :)

Can I ask one question that baffles me .. why are you loosing weight at the moment? I remember an earlier post you made where you were rather confident that that wasn't a path you wanted to go down ..

You can't stop growing older, but you never have to grow up (though you then have to live with things like your children rolling their eyes at what you do and say). On my run yesterday, I ran a stick across a wrought iron fence to make noise and then stomped in a puddle; everyone around me smiled, though whether it was appreciation of childlike joy or knowing condescension, I can't say.

My musical guilty pleasure lately has been Dessa. I hate her particular type of music, but she's listenable.

Ah... another joyously honest post from SLG in which she tells us about things we ALL do to some extent but would never admit. I love the way you tell it girl!

SteveQ - I think one's children rolling their eyes at what one says and does happens irregardless of whether one ever grows up. Also I refute that puddle stomping and noise making are signs that one has not grown up. They are signs that one is reveling in the world around them - completely independent from one's maturity... so says I.

SLG - no rush for the baby clothes at all. I think you have a ton on your plate already. If they never make it back, that's fine too. Or, if you want a cheaper way of sending them I can give you the address of some of our American friends who are coming after baby is born and you can mail them domestically.

Welcome back!! I am getting caught up. I don't have 2 kids but still need another 3 hours in the day to get caught up on my own and others blogs... Enjoy Mammoth - even without the snow it will be pretty and some awesome trail running. Funny - we were there in July and there was tons of snow!Loved reading all your recent posts. The honesty is refreshing.

Hello from Rude Skov

Photo by Stine Sophie Winckel

...

My name is Tracy. I am a physician scientist from the USA, living with my husband and two young boys in Denmark. I work as a post-doc fellow at Næstved Hospital. I have a scientific interest in vision loss, vision loss during exercise, exercise, running during pregnancy, MAF training as well as nutrition and health for athletes. I also have a love for music, physics, statistics, cycling, yoga, cross-country skiing, bla bla bal.

I was a member of Team USA at the IAU World Championships in Ultra Trail Running in 2013 in Wales. I am now training to run with Team Denmark at the IAU World Championships in Annency, France in May 2015.